The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-13
THE DEMOCRATIC RETREAT.

THE DEMOCRATIC RETREAT.
The President has commenced backing
down on his free trade message. The New
York Star, administration organ, in double
loaded editorial on the surplus and revenue
question, says:
"How, then, can the reduction which is
imperatively required be made? It be
made by throwing off the tax on tobacco and
it cannot conveniently be made in any other
way Last year the internal tax upon tobacco
yielded $50. los, 06713 That sum added to
the 500, 900, 900 thrown off from the tariff will
make the whole reduction $780, 900, 900. 1t is
tidy little sum of money. What New
Years gift it will bel
eve therefore complete our yesterdays pre-.
diction by saying that the measure or meas
ures upon whichDemocrats will take their stand
will throw $50, 600, 900 off from the tariff and
the whole tax from domestic tobacco. Eighty
million dollars year left in the pockets of the
people! If you can beat US on that issue,
you are welcome to the spoils of your VIC
tory"
AS the Star undoubtedly speaks by author
ity of the administration this is very signif-
cant. In fact, it is a complete change of front
on the part of the President His message
urged the paramount necessity of reducing
the revenue by reducing tariff duties. He
did not recommend any change in internal
revenue taxes. Here is what he said
sour scheme of taxation by means of which
this needless surplus is taken from the public
treasury, consists of tariff or duty levied
upon importions from abroad and internal
taxes levied on the consumption of tobacco
and spurious and malt liquors. It must be
conceded that none of the things subjected to
internal revenue taxation are, strictly speak
ing, necessaries; there appears to be just
complaint of this taxation by the consumers
of these articles, and there seems to be moth
ing well able to bear the burden without
hardship to any portion of the people. But
our present tariff laws, the vicious, inequita-
BILE and illogical source of unnecessary taxa
ton, ought to be at once revised and
amended.
This is the only reference he makes to the
tax on liquors and tobacco, and he distinctly
recommends that they be not reduced. Now
comes his organ and demands the repeal of
the tobacco tax, amounting to 30,000,0 900
year, and informs the country that only
$50, 900, 900 will be thrown off from tariff
duties. In other words. the President has had
an access of information. He has been hear
ing from the country and it is dawning on
him that he does not know as much as he
thought he did. Hence, through his New
York organ he comes before the country with
an additional recommendation for the removal
of the tobacco tax and an intimation that the
tariff duties are only to be reduced $50, 0O0,-
900. A week ago the President told Congress
into smithereens now his organ graciously
assures the country that it need not be wholly
destroyed but only mutilated A week ago
the President recommended that the tax on
tobacco be left untouched; now his organ rec
ommends its repeal. The upshot of the whole
business is that the President has no distinct
ideas the subject of tariff or revenue re-
form, and neither he nor his party is fit to
be intrusted with the work. The Republican
party alone is capable of doing the work as it
ought to be done. The tariff is Republican
measure and its revision should not be in
trusted to it's enemies. The Republican party
is pledged to the work. The national plat
form of 1884 said:
'"The Republican party pledges itself to cor
rect the inequalities of the tariff and to reduce
the surplus, not by the vicious and indiscrmi-
mating process of horizontal reduction, but by
such methods as will relieve the taxpayer
without injuring the laborer or the great pro-
ductive interests of the country"
That is the position of the Republican party
to-day-pledged to revenue reform by such
methods will still preserve the protective
system and the interests of American industry
and labor The people are with the Repub-
ican party on this question, and undoubtedly
would rather intrust the work of revising the
tariff and revenue laws to the party Of protection
than to the party of free trade. The Repub-
licans, unfortunately. are not in position to
carry out their pledges, while the Democracy
are in position to infict great damage on the
industrial interests of the country. The ex-
tract from the Presidents New York organ
shows he already realizes that he cannot main
tain the extreme positions of his message, and
it also shows how completely at sea he and his
party are on this important question.